News

‘The Pearl Comb’, written and directed by Ali Cook, marks his directorial debut and continues Ali Cook’s creative journey as a film maker.

It follows the film festival success of ‘The Cunning Man’, written by Ali Cook.

‘The Cunning Man’ earned significant acclaim, winning 33 awards and screening at over 88 international film festivals, including FrightFest, the Oscar-qualifying Cleveland International Film Festival, the Oscar-qualifying Cinequest, the BAFTA & BIFA-qualifying Norwich Film Festival, the BAFTA-qualifying Underwire Festival, Morbido, the BAFTA- qualifying Aesthetica Festival, the Oscar-qualifying In The Palace International Film Festival, and the BAFTA-qualifying Carmarthen Bay International Film Festival.

In 2019, ‘The Cunning Man’ was also BAFTA long listed and was the runner-up for the prestigious Méliès d’Argent award at the Abertoir Horror Festival.

Set in Victorian Cornwall, ‘The Pearl Comb’ follows a humble fisherman’s wife who becomes the first person ever to cure someone of tuberculosis, catching the attention of the medical profession.

War movies have been an enduring genre in theaters worldwide for over a century, but not without controversy. A difficult subject to tackle, war has often been the focus of filmmakers eager to showcase the depravity and violence often invoked by bloody conflicts. Catching the directorial eyes of some of the most legendary filmmakers, from Coppola to Kubrick, war films have been a box-office boon and near-constant staple of the cinematic landscape. Originally finding a footing in patriotism and wartime heroics, the genre shifted over time to more accurately capture the reality and gruesome nature of the subject.

It is no wonder that war films have inevitably gained attention for their gritty, hyper-violent, and often overt political messaging over the years. Often controversial, not only for the subject of war but also for the handling of it, war films are often lampooned for their historical inaccuracies and artistic license. Even so,...

Released in 2013, “Lone Survivor” is an emotional tour de force based on the best-selling 2007 memoir by the same name. Directed by Peter Berg, this action-packed war movie follows a Navy Seal team on a mission to capture Taliban leader Ahmad Shah in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region.

The thrilling cast and on-location filming create an intense viewing experience that highlights the bravery of the soldiers who fought alongside one another. With numerous awards and nominations under its belt, “Lone Survivor” provides a natural and powerful look at the life of a soldier in modern warfare.

The gripping movie, directed and penned by Peter Berg, featured Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, and Eric Bana in pivotal roles.

With a budget of 40 million, Lone Survivor became a box-office success, grossing over 154 million worldwide. The film has also been met with positive reviews from critics and audiences alike.

If you...

Bafta and Oscar-winning producer Gareth Ellis-Unwin to produce feature, which has launched a crowdfunding campaign.

Gareth Ellis-Unwin’s Bedlam Film Productions is gearing up to shoot wildlife drama Cheetah and has launched a crowdfunding campaign to support pre-production.

Ellis-Unwin is the Bafta and Oscar-winning UK producer of The King’s Speech and has partnered with environmental and arts organisation Oustanding.Global on the feature, which is set to begin filming in the Middle East and Balkans this autumn subject to Covid-19 restrictions.

The script has been written by playwright and conservationist Ric Edelman. Inspired by true events, the dramatic thriller follows...

Here’s the latest episode of the The Filmmakers Podcast, part of the ever-growing podcast roster here on Nerdly. If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out previous episodes on the official podcast site, whilst we’ll be featuring each and every new episode as it premieres.

For those unfamiliar with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro budget indie films to bigger budget studio films and everything in-between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their film making experiences from directors, writers, producers, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers and distributors.

The Filmmakers Podcast #207: How to make a Sky Original Feature with ‘To Olivia...

The speakers are Adrian Wootton, Gareth Ellis-Unwin, Sara Putt and Kate Norrish.

The latest in our Screen Talks webinar series is taking place on Tuesday June 16 at 15.30 BST and will look at how the UK’s new Covid-19 guidelines can help independent film producers and their creative departments to safely get back up and running on set and on location.

This episode of Screen Talks is sponsored by the British Film Institute and the British Film Commission.

Click here to register

The ‘Working Safely During Covid-19 in Film and High-End TV Drama Production’ guidance published last week signalled the road...

Exclusive: Here’s an intriguing TV project coming together across international boundaries. John David Coles, the U.S. director and exec producer on two series of House Of Cards, is working with Brit scribe Tom Williams (Kajaki) and UK producers Clipper Media on Emerald Eye, a noir thriller series set during the Bolshevik Revolution.

The team have now attached leading Finnish commercial broadcaster MTV3 and Finnish co-producers Markku Flink and Pauli Pent at their banner Luminoir (Viaplay and Lionsgate’s Cold Courage) to the English-language project. This is the first time that MTV has developed a drama series in English.

Cole’s Talking Wall Pictures will produce alongside Clipper. The latter, founded by Michael Nakan and Jake Alexander, is a London-based company focused on international projects that has strong relationships in China. Clipper is working on further English-language projects in Germany and Sweden, and is also producing feminist horror anthology...

Exclusive: Gareth Ellis-Unwin (The King’s Speech) to produce; Mpc to produce and fully finance.

Andrew Scott, known for his villainous roles in Sherlock and Spectre, is to lead the cast of Steel Country, a crime thriller that begins shooting in the Us later this week.

Bankside Films has come on board to sell the Us-set thriller, written by Brendan Higgins and directed by Simon Fellows (Malice In Wonderland), ahead of the Toronto International Film Festival.

Scott will play a small town truck driver who turns detective when a young boy is found dead in a sleepy part of Western Pennsylvania. His investigations turn into an obsession to prove the boy has been murdered, leading to harrowing consequences.

The BAFTA-winner will co-star alongside Bronagh Waugh, who starred in TV crime series The Fall, and Denise Gough (’71, Jimmy’s Hall), who recently won an Olivier Best Actress award for her performance in stage play People, Places And Things...

This is the Pure Movies review of The Violators, directed by Helen Walsh, and starring Lauren McQueen (The Mill, Ordinary Lies) and Brogan Ellis (Waterloo Road) alongside Stephen Lord (Penny Dreadful, Shameless, Route Irish), Liam Ainsworth (Kajaki), Derek Barr (Pride) and newcomer Callum King Chadwick. The Violators is a wounding look at a young woman’s navigation through life whilst encountering dangerous men at every corner, chipping away at her hardened exterior. Bestselling author Helen Walsh (The Lemon Grove) has translated her interest in transgressive sexualities, gender and class onto film. With a female writer and director, and starring two female protagonists, The Violators is significant in a time where there is a perceived dearth of women film directors. The events of the story are shocking but the waves this film will make in terms of disturbing the male-dominated status quo of cinema will be more deeply felt.

Bedlam joins Knightsbridge Films to produce biopic of Leicester City and England footballer.

The King’s Speech producer Bedlam Productions has joing Kinghtsbridge Films to produce a biopic of Leicester City and England footballer Jamie Vardy.

The as yet untitled project is being developed and produced by Adrian Butchart (Goal! The Dream Begins) for Knightsbridge with Simon Egan (The King’s Speech) and Gareth Ellis-Unwin (The King’s Speech, Zaytoun) for Bedlam.

The feature will chart Vardy’s remarkable journey from English football’s lower divisions to the heights of success with Leicester City, where last year he helped the Foxes win the Premier LEague and become a record-breaking goalscorer for the club.

Butchart said: “This film has already gathered so much attention from the public, the media, and the entertainment industry - some considerate it as the sport success story of the century - that there were multiple offers on the table. But when Simon...

Doctor Thorne

Amazon has confirmed that "Downton Abbey" creator Julian Fellowes' new period drama series "Doctor Thorne" series will be added to its lineup of Amazon Original Series with the premiere scheduled to air May 20th. Tom Hollander, Ian McShane, Alison Brie,, Rebecca Front and Richard McCabe star. [Source: Amazon]

Fml

YouTube star Bart Baker, a popular musical parody comedian, has joined the cast of the road trip comedy "Fml" at Digital Riot Media. Jason Nash is directing from his own script. Brandon Calvillo, Busy Philipps, Andy Daly, Jennifer Irwin, Greg Cromer and Manon Mathews also star in the film which is currently shooting.

The story follows a 40-something man (Nash) as he treks across the United States with a nineteen-year-old (Calvillo) to gain a million followers; allowing the man to take care of his family and the kid to land the girl of his dreams. Baker plays Swagg, an overnight social media millionaire,...

New sci-fi thriller, The Call Up, is directed by Charles Barker from his own screenplay and is produced by red & Black Films who produced another fantastic slice of UK cyberpunk The Machine (review) a couple years back.

The film's Us sales rights were recently picked up by Altitude Films, and the film is expected to release worldwide in the second quarter of 2016.

Synopsis:

A group of online gamers are invited to trial a state-of-the-art virtual reality simulation.

Max Deacon (Into The Storm) handles the lead role with Morfydd Clark (Pride And Prejudice and Zombies), Ali Cook (Kilo Two Bravo), Parker Sawyers (Southside With You), Tom Benedict Knight (Dracula Untold), Adriana Randall (Experimenter), Boris Ler ( [Continued ...]...

Exclusive: UK, Australia, Japan also among key pacts for sci-fi starring Max Deacon.

Altitude Film Sales has secured distribution deals in a number of key territories for Charles Barker’s debut feature The Call Up.

Vertical Entertainment has picked up Us rights with Mongrel Media taking Canada. Deals were also finalised with Altitude Film Distribution for the UK, Nikkatsu for Japan, Defiant for Australia/New Zealand, Betta Pictures for Spain and Gate 23 for Airlines.

The Call Up follows a group of online gamers who are invited to trial a state-of-the-art virtual reality game, but what starts out like a dream encounter with cutting edge video technology – a perfect representation of soldiers in a warzone – takes a turn for the sinister when the stakes are raised to fatal.

Max Deacon (Into The Storm) plays the lead role alongside Morfydd Clark (Pride And Prejudice and Zombies), Ali Cook (Kilo Two Bravo), Parker Sawyers (Southside With You), Tom Benedict Knight ([link...

Alex Garland's "Ex Machina" was the big winner at the 2015 Moët British Independent Film Awards. The artificial intelligence flick won Best British Independent Film, Director and Screenplay for Garland, and Outstanding Achievement in Craft (Visual Effects) for Andrew Whitehurst.

Here's the full list of winners of the 2015 Moët British Independent Film Awards:

Best British Independent Film

Ex Machina, Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Alex Garland

Best Director

Alex Garland, Ex Machina

Best Actress

Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn

Best Actor

Tom Hardy, Legend

Douglas Hickox Award For Best Debut Director

Stephen Fingleton, The Survivalist

Producer Of The Year

Paul Katis & Andrew De Lotbiniere, Kajaki: The True Story

Best Screenplay

Alex Garland, Ex Machina

Best Documentary

Dark Horse: The Incredible True Story Of Dream Alliance, Judith Dawson, Louise Osmond

Best Supporting Actress

Olivia Colman, The Lobster

Best Supporting Actor

Brendan Gleeson, Suffragette

The Discovery Award

Orion: THe Man Who Would Be King,...

Gothamist Good Morning America tries to interview Carrie Fisher. She is not as cooperative as they're used to. Hilarious. She mostly wants to talk about her dog Gary. Also...

Carrie Fisher's Dog is on twitter

/Film best and worst of Ryan Gosling on SNL

Variety Shailene Woodley, to whom I am mostly allergic, will unfortunately co-star with Nicole Kidman in Big Little Lies

Boy Culture Warhol superstar Holly Woodlawn has died at 69

i09 in case you can't wait until Christmas, they've released 8 clips from The Hateful Eight to tide you over

Pajiba 8 sets of celebrity dopplegangers

Today's Watch

Director Ryan Coogler talks about Creed's amazing continuous shot boxing match. So gutsy that this bravura bit comes so early in the movie and he still manages to top it later on.

List Mania

Vulture David Edelstein's top ten list is quite adventurous as it zigzags from Room to...

The awards season is in full swing now with a bunch of the critics groups handing out honors to deserving winners.

British Independent Film Awards

Alex Garland's sci-fi tale "Ex Machina" dominating the list. The film took Best Film, Director, Screenplay and a craft award for its VFX.

In the acting categories the winners were Tom Hardy ("Legend") for Best Actor, Saiorse Ronan ("Brooklyn") for Best Actress, Olivia Colman ("The Lobster") for Best Supporting Actress, and Brendan Gleeson ("Suffragette") for Best Supporting Actor.

Other winners inclued "Room" for Best International Independent Film, "Dark Horse: The Incredible True Story of Dream Alliance" for Best Documentary, Abigail Hardingham's turn in "Nina Forever" scoring a Most Promising Newcomer award, Stephen Fingleton getting a debut directing award for "The Survivalist," "Kajaki: The True Story" scoring nods for its producers, and "Orion: The Man Who Would Be King" taking the Discovery Award.

Boston...

Alicia Vikander/Ex Machina

Ex Machina was the big winner at the Moët British Independent Film Awards this evening. The film won four awards: Best British Independent Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay for Alex Garland and Outstanding Achievement in Craft for its Visual Effects, by Andrew Whitehurst.

The film will be screened in 74 cinemas across the country on Sunday 13 December as part of a landmark Bifa screening series supported by the BFI. Tickets can be booked at discover.bifa.film

Performance awards were spread across the board: Saoirse Ronan picked up Best Actress for Brooklyn and Tom Hardy won Best Actor for his dual role as Ronnie and Reggie Kray in Legend.

Saoirse Ronan

Olivia Colman won her third Bifa for her Best Supporting Actress performance in The Lobster. Brendan Gleeson made it two years in a row, winning Best Supporting Actor for Suffragette this year after taking away...

45 Years and Macbeth both went home empty-handed at the British Independent Film Awards.

Ex Machina was the major winner at the Moët British Independent Film Awards, taking four prizes including Best British Independent Film.

Alex Garland’s Sci-Fi feature also took home Best Director and Best Screenplay as well as Outstanding Achievement in Craft for Andrew Whitehurst’s visual effects work.

Andrew Haigh’s 45 Years and Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth went home empty-handed, despite both being nominated in six categories.

Richard Ayoade presented the evening ceremony, joking in his introduction: “I hope that my presence today can be a small step in encouraging more men to take part in the film industry.”

Tom Hardy took the Best Actor prize for his portrayal of both Ronnie and Reggie Kray in Legend, he couldn’t attend the ceremony so Domhnall Gleeson accepted the award on his behalf.

Domhnall also accepted an award on behalf of his father, Brendan Glesson...

Sci-fi Ex Machina wins four, including Best British Independent Film; re-watch the ceremony here.

The 2015 Moet British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) were held at Old Billingsgate Market in London on Dec 6, where Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Lobster led the nominations with seven nods.

But it was sci-fi Ex Machina that won the night, with four awards including Best British Independent Film. Full report here.

BIFAs 2015Best British Independent Film

Ex Machina, Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Alex Garland

45 Years, Tristan Goligher, Andrew HaighAmy, James Gay-Rees, Asif KapadiaThe Lobster, Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday, Efthymis Filippou, Yorgos LanthimosMacbeth, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Laura Hastings-Smith, Todd Louiso, Jacob Koskoff, Michael Lesslie, Justin KurzelBest Director

Alex Garland, Ex Machina

45 Years, Andrew HaighAmy, Asif KapadiaThe Lobster, Yorgos LanthimosMacbeth, Justin KurzelBest Actress

Saorise Ronan, Brooklyn

Marion Cotillard, MacbethCarey Mulligan, SuffragetteCharlotte Rampling, 45 YearsAlicia Vikander, The Danish GirlBest Supporting Actress

Olivia Colman, The Lobster

Helen Bonham Carter, SuffragetteAnne-Marie Duff, SuffragetteSienna...

Watch the Bifa ceremony here from 7pm (GMT); winners list updated here as they are announced.

The 2015 Moet British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) are set to be held in London this evening, where Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Lobster leads the nominations with seven nods.

Also going into the night with numerous nominations are Andrew Haigh’s 45 Years and Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth, with six apiece, as well as Asif Kapadia’s documentary Amy andJohn Crowley’s period drama Brooklyn, with five each, while Ben Wheatley’s High-Rise and Sarah Gavron’s Suffragette each received four nominations.

Screen is at the ceremony and will be updating the winners here…

BIFAs 2015Best British Independent Film45 Years, Tristan Goligher, Andrew HaighAmy, James Gay-Rees, Asif KapadiaEx Machina, Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Alex GarlandThe Lobster, Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday, Efthymis Filippou, Yorgos LanthimosMacbeth, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Laura Hastings-Smith, Todd Louiso, Jacob Koskoff, Michael Lesslie, Justin...

Robert Carlyle and Emma Thompson in The Legend Of Barney Thomson Robert Carlyle's directorial debut The Legend Of Barney Thomson picked up the top movie award at the Scottish BAFTAs last night.

The film, which is released on DVD today, tells the story of a hapless barber who becomes an accidental murderer. It was named best film - beating 16 Years Till Summer and What We Did On Our Holiday - and also saw Emma Thompson walk off with the prize for best actress.

Carlyle was pipped to the acting prize, however, by newcomer David Elliot, who took home the award for his portrayal of an Edinburgh soldier who was killed in Afghanistan in Kajaki: The True Story.

Glaswegian Bill Paterson - who will soon be seen in the film adaptation of Dad's Army - won a special award for outstanding contribution to film and television. David Balfour - who...

While the knotty politics of the ongoing Western presence in Afghanistan may make for countless editorials and thinkpieces, it's the soldiers on the ground who have to live through the experience. In "Kilo Two Bravo," which is based on a true story, audiences get an intense look at one regiment who are put to the test in ways they could never imagine. Read More: U.S. Trailer For Visceral War Film 'Kilo Two Bravo' Directed by Paul Katis, and starring David Elliot, Mark Stanley, Scott Kyle, Benjamin O’Mahony, and Bryan Parry, the film follows a platoon tasked with neutralizing a Taliban roadblock in the Kajaki region of Afghanistan. As they close in on the insurgents, the unit find themselves marooned in the middle of an active minefield, setting in motion a desperate air rescue mission that risks detonating the entire explosive terrain. And as you'll see in this exclusive,...

Film4 has received a total of 41 nominations for the films it has backed at this year.s British Independent Film Awards, including six for Justin Kurzel's Macbeth.

Macbeth is in contention for best British independent film, best director, lead actor Michael Fassbender, lead actress Marion Cotillard, support actor Sean Harris and cinematographer Adam Arkapaw.

The film will soon be available on Amazon Prime Video in an exclusive streaming deal negotiated by the Us distributor, the Weinstein Co. According to one report that deal is worth $US4 million.. Macbeth opens in limited theatrical release in the Us on December 4.

Another film co-produced by See-Saw Films, Slow West, scored a nomination for John Maclean as best debut director.

Yorgos Lanthimos.s The Lobster tops the list with seven nominations. Andrew Haigh.s 45 Years and Macbeth each received six while. Alex Garland.s Ex Machina and Asif Kapadia.s Amy garnered five each.

Greek helmer Yorgos Lanthimos’ purest and painful reminder that love reigns is measuring off against Justin Kurzel’s paranoia bliss and Andrew Haigh’s in it for the long term portrait received the most nominations for the upcoming 2015 British Independent Film Awards. Mysteriously, Rachel Weisz failed to nab a nom in the Best Actress category, but The Lobster has a wide-spread reach in all major categories with seven nominations. 45 Years, the favorite in both acting categories and Macbeth are one shy with six noms apiece. Apart from the Best Picture category, we’re keeping tabs for a surprise win in the Best Screenplay and the Best Supporting Actor race should be a hoot as both Gleesons in Brendan and Domhnall will be competing against each other. The award show technically kicks off award season on December 6th.

Best British Independent Film

“Amy”

“Ex Machina”

“45 Years”

“The Lobster”

“Macbeth”

Best Director

Asif Kapadia,...

While we’ll be hearing about the Oscar race ad nauseam for the next many months, there are a few awards ceremony that actually highlight films that might slip under the radar. Like the recently unveiled Gotham award nominations, the British Independent Film Awards do a splendid job of taking a look at some of the year’s overlooked films, and today brings their nominations.

Topping the list is Yorgos Lanthimos‘ The Lobster (which we quite liked at Cannes, and will be released next spring in the U.S.), earning seven nominations, including Best Film and Director. Also in the same major categories, but earning six overall, were 45 Years and Macbeth, which we also praised, and will arrive in the U.S next month. Notably, the documentary Amy snuck into the Best Film category, proving just how much a hit it was in the U.K. as well.

Ahead of the December 6th ceremony,...

Yorgos Lanthimos's The Lobster leads this year's crop of nominations for the Moët British Independent Film Awards.

The comedy-drama picked up seven nominations and will compete for Best British Independent Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Producer of the Year, Best Actor (Colin Farrell), Best Supporting Actor (Ben Whishaw) and Best Supporting Actress (Olivia Colman).

In total, 28 different British films are in contention for awards at this year's ceremony. The nominations were announced by Humans' Gemma Chan and The Maze Runner's Thomas Brodie-Sangster.

The Lobster will be up against 45 Years, Amy, Ex Machina and Macbeth in the hotly-contested Best British Independent Film category.

45 Years and Macbeth picked up six nominations apiece, while Amy, Brooklyn and Ex Machina have five, as High-Rise and Suffragette picked up four.

Alongside Farrell in Best Actor are Tom Courtenay (45 Years), Michael Fassbender (Macbeth), Tom Hardy (Legend) and Tom Hiddleston (High-Rise).

Marion Cotillard (Macbeth...

The Lobster received seven nominations; 45 Years and Macbeth received six each.

Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Lobster topped this year’s Moet British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) nominations, which were presented in London this morning (Nov 3) by Gemma Chan and Thomas Brodie-Sangster.

The film garnered seven nods including Best British Independent Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Producer of the Year.

Andrew Haigh’s 45 Years and Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth both received six nominations each, receiving acting nods for stars Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay for the former, and Marion Cotillard and Michael Fassbender for the latter.

Asif Kapadi’s documentary Amy, which told the story of the late singer Amy Winehouse, received five nominations, as did John Crowley’s period drama Brooklyn.

Ben Wheatley’s High-Rise and Sarah Gavron’s Suffragette each received four nominations.

Alongside The Lobster, the titles also nominated for Best British Indepedent Film were: 45 Years, Amy, Ex Machina and [link...

Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they’re seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: What better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising? This week […]

The post This Week In Trailers: Kilo Two Bravo, Kittie, Toy Masters, Janis: Little Girl Blue, The Forbidden Room appeared first on /Film.

Read More: Watch: U.S. Trailer for Visceral War Film 'Kilo Two Bravo,' in Which Every Move Is Life-or-Death A pulse-pounding new trailer has been released for director Paul Katis' first feature film, "Kilo Two Bravo." The Afghanistan-set thriller was an official selection at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. When the Kilo Two Bravo platoon is sent into the Kajaki region of Aghanistan in order to quell a Taliban roadblock, they find themselves in a dire situation when they become stranded in the middle of an active minefield. Now, even the slightest movement from one of the soldiers could set off the entire explosive valley. The above trailer is heavy with tension and desperation as the brothers in arms attempt to orchestrate a rescue by helicopter, while struggling to simply stay alive. "Kilo Two Bravo" will be released On Demand on November 10 and in select theaters on November 13. Watch the trailer above.

American audiences are in for a shock with "Kilo Two Bravo," the visceral, disturbing, heroic and otherwise electric UK war film playing the Toronto Film Festival, about British soldiers in Afghanistan. There were British soldiers in Afghanistan? For a lot of people, particularly Americans, that will be the first shock. The second, far more powerful, is director Paul Katis’ portrayal of his hellishly marooned central characters: A group of British soldiers, mostly paratroopers of the Third Battalion, who in 2006 found themselves in the middle of an old Soviet minefield while stationed at the Kajaki Dam in Afghanistan. Every small move becomes a life-or-death decision; limbs are lost, lives imperiled. After a standing ovation at the film’s Toronto premiere the previous evening, former Lance Corporal Paul “Tug” Hartley –portrayed by UK actor Mark Stanley – said the making of the film had been, if nothing else, a social success. “There’s a bond between the guys.

Exclusive: Kilo Two Bravo director Paul Katis and writer Tom Williams have signed with Verve, the lit agency said today. The war drama, BAFTA nominated this past year when it was known as Kajaki: The True Story, recounts the story of a platoon set out to disable a Taliban roadblock. On nearing the insurgents, one of the soldiers triggers a land mine, setting into motion a desperate rescue mission. Katis is a British filmmaker who worked for years editing, producing, and…...

The BBC First British Film Festival has revealed its full program.

Featuring 31 titles, the program aims to capture the magic, unique humour, romance, traditions and new age vitality of British culture.

The festival will open with Paolo Sorrentino.s film, Youth, nominated for the Palme d.Or at this year.s Cannes film festival, and the follow up to his Academy Award-winning film, The Great Beauty (2013)..

Following two old friends, retired composer Fred (Michael Caine) and film director Mick (Harvey Keitel), on vacation at a prestigious hotel in the Swiss Alps, the film is an introspective and thought-provoking, wry buddy comedy — and it employs Sorrentino.s hallmark stunning visuals to majestic effect.

Straight from its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, The Man Who Knew Infinity — the retelling of mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan.s life — will close the festival..

Featuring performances from Dev Petal (Slumdog Millionaire) as Ramanujan, and...

British films hoping to succeed in the international market must overcome production and distribution roadblocks in an increasingly competitive industry.

That was the message from the ‘Selling UK Films Abroad’ panel discussion co-hosted by Screen International and the UK Trade & Investment (Ukti) agency, held at London House, about how British films are faring abroad.

“You can’t have a weak link in a package anymore,” said Metro Films International CEO Will Machin, who is selling Michael Caton-Jones’ Urban Hymn in Toronto.

Stephen Kelliher, director of Bankside Films, noted that the bar is higher than ever and stated: “The bullseye for what works theatrically, British or not, has gotten smaller and smaller over recent years. You have to be in the top five to ten percent of movies to have any chance of truly working.”

The panel, which was moderated by Screen contributing editor Wendy Mitchell, also included Dasha Sterlikova of Paradise Film, Gianluca Chakra of [link...

Ahead of its North American premiere at the Toronto Independent Film Festival, Search Engine and Honora have acquired North American rights to "Kilo Two Bravo." The film will be released in the U.S. on VOD November 10 and in theaters November 13. It is currently available for pre-order on iTunes. Read More: Toronto International Film Festival Announces City to City and Wavelengths Slates, Including Major Installation by Apichatpong Weerasethakul The official press release reads: "'Kilo Two Bravo,' until recently known as 'Kajaki The True Story,' is directed by Paul Katis and produced by Katis and Andrew De Lotbiniere. The BAFTA-nominated war story is an excruciatingly tense thriller that tells the true story of a platoon who set out to disable a Taliban roadblock. On nearing the insurgents, one of the soldiers triggers a land mine setting into motion a desperate rescue mission." The 40th Toronto International...

Paul Katis’ Afghanistan war drama Kilo Two Bravo, formerly known as Kajaki The True Story when Katis landed a BAFTA Award nomination this year for outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer, has been acquired by Search Engine and Honora. The deal comes ahead of its North American premiere at the Toronto Film Festival’s City to City sidebar which this year showcases London-based filmmakers. The plan is to release the film on VOD on November 10 in the U.S…...

Free tickets can be booked now for the panel, held in association with Ukti, which takes place on Friday (Sept 11).

Screen has announced the panelists for its upcoming Toronto International Film Festival panel: Britain to the world - How well do UK films sell abroad?

Host Wendy Mitchell will be joined by five panellists to discuss selling UK films abroad:

Will Machin, CEO, Metro Films International, whose current slate includes Kilo Two Bravo (aka Kajaki: The True Story), Urban Hymn and Journey’s End;

Stephen Kelliher, director and head of sales of Bankside Films, which is currently handling Oscar-hopeful Freeheld;

Gareth Unwin, producer for Bedlam Films, whose previous works include The King’s Speech and Kilo Two Bravo;

Dasha Sterlikova, head of acquisitions for Russian outfit Paradise Films.

The panel will take place on Friday (Sept 11) 10am-11.30am, London House at Maison Mercer. Book tickets here.

Free tickets can be booked now for the panel, held in association with Ukti, which takes place on Friday (Sept 11).

Screen has announced the panellists for its upcoming Toronto International Film Festival panel: Britain to the world - How well do UK films sell abroad?

Host Wendy Mitchell will be joined by five panellists to discuss selling UK films abroad:

Will Machin, CEO, Metro Films International, whose current slate includes Kilo Two Bravo (aka Kajaki: The True Story), Urban Hymn and Journey’s End;

Stephen Kelliher, director and head of sales of Bankside Films, which is currently handling Oscar-hopeful Freeheld;

Gareth Unwin, producer for Bedlam Films, whose previous works include The King’s Speech and Kilo Two Bravo;

Dasha Sterlikova, head of acquisitions for Russian outfit Paradise Films.

The panel will take place on Friday (Sept 11) 10am-11.30am, London House at Maison Mercer. Book tickets here.

Exclusive: UK actor cast as Kunta Kinte in A+E Networks’ scripted event series.

UK actor Malachi Kirby (Gone Too Far) has been cast in the lead role in A+E Networks’ anticipated remake of landmark 1977 miniseries Roots.

Former Screen Star of Tomorrow Kirby is set to play Kunta Kinte in the seven-part series, which is described as a historical portrait of American slavery recounting the journey of one family’s will to survive.

The narrative spans multiple generations, beginning with young Kunta Kinte, who is captured in his homeland in the Gambia and transported in brutal conditions to colonial America, where he’s sold into slavery.

Throughout the series, the family continues to face adversity while bearing witness and contributing to notable events in Us history - including the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, slave uprisings and eventual emancipation.

Rising star

The fast-rising Kirby, who played in 2013 comedy drama Gone Too Far and Toronto-bound Afghan war thriller...

Exclusive: The London-based sales agent has struck a Us and Canadian sale on the BAFTA-nominated war story ahead of next month’s North American premiere in Toronto.

Metro International head of sales Natalie Brenner has licensed Us and Canadian rights to Toronto-based Search Engine in a deal with president John Bain that will see the Canadian distributor make its first foray into the Us market, where it will release in conjunction with Honora Productions.

The film, until recently known as Kajaki. The True Story, will premiere in Toronto’s City To City section profiling cinema from London-based filmmakers.

Paul Katis directed Kilo Two Bravo, about a group of mostly British soldiers who become stranded in a minefield during a 2006 rescue mission in Afghanistan.

David Elliot, Mark Stanley, Scott Kyle, Benjamin O’Mahony, Bryan Parry, Liam Ainsworth, Andy Gibbins, John Doughty, Paul Luebke, Thomas Davison, Grant Kilburn, Robert Mitchell, Jon Paul Bell, Malachi Kirby and [link...

★★★★☆ Consciously attempting to remedy British cinema's dirge of contemporary war films, outshone as they usually are by the superior American model, Kajaki (2014), the feature debut of Paul Katis, is a retelling of a harrowing true story that is notable both for its brutality and outstanding bravery. With a script developed by Katis and screenwriter Tom Williams, and based on extensive interviews with the surviving soldiers involved in the events, the film is an expertly crafted commemoration that focuses on the War on Terror in nightmarish microcosm. Set in 2006, the film sees a group of soldiers from the British Army's 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment [3 Para], who are stationed at the Kajaki Dam in Afghanistan.

They might be scheduled for DVD release practically simultaneously – but these British and American depictions of modern warfare are very different, says Kajaki executive producer Gareth Ellis-Unwin

Perhaps this was one fight we just couldn’t duck. Despite all manner of date-shifting and schedule-juggling, our film Kajaki will be released on DVD in the same week as American Sniper. Two similarly-themed movies, but worlds apart in terms of production spend and star wattage, have picked the same window to hit the UK home-entertainment market. Accidental? We can’t be sure: we moved, they moved, they moved, we moved, and there came a point we had to pick a date and stick with it. If we are going to be sharing shelf space, the two films bear comparison. Traditionally, however, your average shopper will only pick up one DVD when doing the weekly shop. So, will it be Sniper or Kajaki...

Alchemy Releasing

Rating: ★★★★

Kajaki tells the horrifying true story of the events of September 6 2006 in Afghanistan. Events that would later become known as the Kajaki minefield incident.

Troops from the 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment of the British Army were stationed near the Kajaki Dam in Taliban-occupied Helmand Province, when a routine reconnaissance mission took a nasty turn, as a three-man patrol stumbled into a dry riverbed, unaware it was actually an unmarked minefield. A catastrophe of errors, coupled with military bureaucracy, transformed a dangerous situation into a nightmare of hellish proportions.

Gritty and realistic, the harrowing BAFTA nominated film looks and feels like The Hurt Locker, and has garnered much praise from Afghanistan veterans for its brutal authenticity. The true-life story has seen a few small changes to suit the big screen, but it remains unsanitised, completely brutal, and an accurate depiction of war in the desert waste that is Helmand Province.

British war movie Kajaki hits Irish cinemas this Friday, and I was lucky enough to spend some time with actor Scott Kyle who played paratrooper Stuart Pearson, one of the group of soldiers whose experience trapped in a minefield in Afghanistan in 2006 inspired the movie. From paying respect to the survivors of this horrific ordeal to the actors bonding at bootcamp, as well as Kyle selling the idea of a Kajaki stage play really, really well, there is quite a bit up for discussion, so take some time off to listen to it through the links below. Kajaki is released in Omniplex Cinemas on Friday March 13th. Subscribe on iTunes – Click here (Click view in iTunes and the click Subscribe) If you’re already a subscriber, the latest episode is ready to download. iPhone / iPad Users– Click here to open your iTunes podcast app and click Subscribe! Stitcher Users Click...

Director of The Jackel and Memphis Belle joins $30m fantasy epic.

Michael Caton-Jones has been confirmed to direct $30.9m (£20m) children’s fantasy film The Giant Under The Snow.

The film will be an adaptation of a 1968 adventure novel by John Gordon, which centres on three school friends who discover an ancient treasure and become embroiled in the final act of an epic battle of good against evil.

The live-action feature is intended to act as the first in a trilogy, with shooting planned at Pinewood and Shepperton Studios as well as on location in the UK from October 2015. Theatrical release is planned for Christmas 2016.

VFX will be handled by London-based CineSite, which worked on the Harry Potter franchise and more recently handled Tom Cruise’s Edge of Tomorrow.

Caton-Jones is developing the screenplay with Tom Williams (Chalet Girl, Kajaki).

Ralph Kamp, former Icon Productions CEO, will likely be global sales and distribution agent through his outfit...

Hot projects new to Screenbase include Nicolas Winding Refn feature The Neon Demon, Pope Francis biopic Francisco, Brady Corbet’s directorial debut The Childhood Of A Leader and a new adaptation by Wim Wenders.Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon

Elle Fanning, Keanu Reeves, Christina Hendricks, Abbey Lee, Bella Heathcote and Jena Malone have signed on to co-star in Nicolas Winding Refn’s next feature.

“After making Drive and falling madly in love with the electricity of Los Angeles, I knew I had to return to tell the story of The Neon Demon,” Winding Refn said.

Principal photography will begin in Los Angeles on March 30. Gaumont and Wild Bunch are co-selling the title.

Wim Wenders’ Les Beaux Jours D’Aranjuez

This adaptation of the play by Peter Handke was announced by Alfama’s Paulo Branco during the Efm. It will star Reda Kateb and Sophie Semin. Wenders is expected to shoot in June.

Brady Corbet’s [link...

From BAFTA to DGA, the Latest Winners this Awards Season

With the Oscars upon us, the awards season is almost over! But the last trek to the Academy Awards include many guild awards and of course, BAFTA! So here.s the latest congratulatory awards list of the winners from BAFTA to DGA, from Annie to Ace and everything in between!

Your full BAFTA winners (winners are highlighted):

Best Film

Birdman Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, James W. Skotchdopole

Boyhood Richard Linklater, Cathleen Sutherland

The Grand Budapest Hotel Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson

The Imitation Game Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky, Teddy Schwarzman

The Theory Of Everything Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten

Director

Birdman Alejandro G. Iñárritu

Boyhood Richard Linklater

The Grand Budapest Hotel Wes Anderson

The Theory Of Everything James Marsh

Whiplash Damien Chazelle

Leading Actor

Benedict Cumberbatch The Imitation Game

Eddie Redmayne The Theory of Everything...

‘Know your project inside out’, was the message from a panel of industry experts to producers thinking about taking the alternative distribution route.

Speaking in Berlin on the Efm Industry Debate panel on alternative distribution, hosted by Screen, Oscar-winning producer Gareth Unwin, who recently adopted the model for war film Kajaki in the UK, said the structure can work on the right film: “The experience proved to me that ‘self-distribution’ - or ‘direct distribution’ - none of these terms are dirty words. On the right project it may be that you can find the right exhibitor who will take your film.”

Speaking about his Kickstarter-backed 2012 feature Borrowed Time, producer Olivier Kaempfer said: “In order to distribute your own film you need three key ingredients: passion and dedication; experience; and money.”

Producer Sigrid Dyekjaer encouraged producers to take up distribution not only in their home market but abroad as well: “Getting the ambassadors in your own territories and then...

Industry experts held a panel on alternative distribution at the Efm yesterday [Feb 8].

‘Know your project inside out’, was the message yesterday from a panel of industry experts to producers thinking about taking the alternative distribution route.

Speaking on the Efm Industry Debate panel on alternative distribution, hosted by Screen, Oscar-winning producer Gareth Unwin, who recently adopted the model for war film Kajaki in the UK, said the structure can work on the right film: “The experience proved to me that ‘self-distribution’ - or ‘direct distribution’ - none of these terms are dirty words. On the right project it may be that you can find the right exhibitor who will take your film.”

Speaking about his Kickstarter-backed 2012 feature Borrowed Time, producer Olivier Kaempfer said: “In order to distribute your own film you need three key ingredients: passion and dedication; experience; and money.”

Producer Sigrid Dyekjaer encouraged producers to take up distribution not only in their home market but abroad...

‘Know your project inside out’, was the message from a panel of industry experts to producers thinking about taking the alternative distribution route.

Speaking in Berlin on the Efm Industry Debate panel on alternative distribution, hosted by Screen, Oscar-winning producer Gareth Unwin, who recently adopted the model for war film Kajaki in the UK, said the structure can work on the right film: “The experience proved to me that ‘self-distribution’ - or ‘direct distribution’ - none of these terms are dirty words. On the right project it may be that you can find the right exhibitor who will take your film.”

Speaking about his Kickstarter-backed 2012 feature Borrowed Time, producer Olivier Kaempfer said: “In order to distribute your own film you need three key ingredients: passion and dedication; experience; and money.”

Producer Sigrid Dyekjaer encouraged producers to take up distribution not only in their home market but abroad as well: “Getting the ambassadors in your own territories and then...

The Royal Opera House in London was the place to be on Sunday (February 8) as the 2015 BAFTA Film Awards took over with a host of huge stars.

While there were many deserving hopefuls in each and every category, only one lucky winner got to take home the hardware and thereby claim BAFTA prominence.

The night’s big victories included Eddie Redmayne (Best Actor for “The Theory of Everything”), Julianne Moore (Best Actress for “Still Alice”) and “Boyhood” (Best Film). “The Theory of Everything” also won Best British Film, while “The Grand Budapest Hotel” took home a total of five awards including Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.

The complete list of 2015 BAFTA Film Awards winners is:

Best film

Birdman

Boyhood - Winner

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

The Theory of Everything

Outstanding British film

'71

The Imitation Game

Paddington

Pride

The Theory of Everything - Winner

Under The Skin...